Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF members harbouring presidential ambitions should wait for the party’s elective congress in 2014 to express their

interest, the party’s spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo, has said.
In an interview, Cde Gumbo said any person mobilising support outside party structures was pursuing personal interests.

He said at the moment party members should work to strengthen party structures ahead of general elections to be held later this year.
“Let us focus on strengthening the party rather than destabilise it, that is the position of the Politburo,” he said.
“If there is anyone who is interested in the leadership of the party, they should wait for the party’s congress in 2014, where they should express their interests.

“They should mobilise support following laid-down party procedures rather than threatening people. That is not democracy and it is retrogressive to the party.”
Cde Gumbo said the party’s leadership hierarchy was clear to all members.
“We have the Presidency where we have President Mugabe as the first secretary of the party and Vice-Presidents Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo as second secretaries,” he said.

“We also have the Presidium which includes the national chairman (Cde Simon Khaya Moyo) and the secretary of administration (Cde Didymus Mutasa). Any other person claiming to lead the party outside that hierarchy is just a destabilising force.”

Cde Gumbo said VP Mujuru reiterated that position at the party’s last  Politburo meeting.
“She talked about the protocol of the party and that she was elected by all the party’s 10 provinces, and that is not a secret,” he said.
“As the Politburo, our role is to strengthen the party to ensure that it is strong ahead of the elections.”

Cde Gumbo said the party might have provincial elections this year if they manage to complete District Co-ordinating Committee elections before general elections.
“The Politburo has not yet come up with a position regarding that issue, but if there is time we may have them (provincial elections) this year,” he said.
Recently, Zanu-PF ordered the holding of DCC elections in some areas where anomalies were noted.

The party’s political commissar, Cde Webster Shamu, was tasked to investigate disturbances that occurred in some provinces.

Where irregularities are revealed, Cde Shamu will nullify the results and conduct fresh polls.
There have been reports of imposition of candidates during the Zanu-PF DCC elections, especially in Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.